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WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Let's get back to our top story, a breaking story that we're following in Montgomery County, Maryland. That's right outside Washington, D.C. Looking at live pictures from Montgomery County, a series of five fatal shootings over the past few hours, beginning last night. Police are investigating, police are trying to determine if those shootings are related. Let's bring in our law enforcement analyst Mike Brooks, who used to live in this area, knows the area quite well, including Montgomery County.

Mike, what are police doing to determine if these five fatal shootings are indeed connected?

MIKE BROOKS, CNN LAW ENFORCEMENT ANALYST: They're taking a look at everything right now, Wolf. Montgomery County is the lead agency in this investigation. But it's extending also into the district.

Right now they don't know a motive. That has yet to be determined. Just the randomness, I think, is baffling police right now. It started off this morning with a man shot while mowing his lawn in Rockville Pike, which is a main artery in Montgomery County. Within 20 minutes you had two women killed at a retirement community, which is hardly usual, a very quiet community called Leisure World. And another a short ways away at a gas station. And another man killed at a gas station.

The van in question was apparently last seen going south on Georgia Avenue, which is right toward the district. Much of the District of Columbia borders Montgomery County, so the Metropolitan Police in Washington have also been on the lookout for this. There is a very good mutual aid agreement between the different jurisdictions in the Washington metropolitan area, so hopefully they'll be able to find this van and find out who's responsible for these shootings and get these people locked up.

Apparently, earlier the Maryland State Police had also shut down part of the beltway because they had stopped a van. And in Montgomery County, they had also shut down part of Georgia Avenue because they had also stopped a white van. But both of those came up with negative results.

BLITZER: Mike, as you know, it shouldn't take very long based on forensic evidence, looking at the bullets, for example, of these five fatal shootings to determine if in fact there is a connection. How long will it take? BROOKS: It shouldn't take that long. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, my sources telling me, are also helping the investigation. It's believed that the weapon used in all of these is a high-powered rifle. So right now you've got Montgomery County Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and the FBI is also assisting in this, just because they are additional resources to help out Montgomery County. And you wanted -- the FBI would be involved if this go from state to state.

BLITZER: Mike Brooks -- he used to live here in Washington, D.C.

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